Over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal

Portugal: Over-qualification rates by country of birth was 16.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
16.1%
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
36th
of 45 countries
All-time high
16.3%
in 2023
All-time low
6.9%
in 1995
Years of data
31
1995–2025

Over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal, 1995–2025

0510151995201020251995: 6.9 Percentage1996: 7.5 Percentage1997: 7.8 Percentage1998: 8.1 Percentage1999: 7.7 Percentage2000: 9.6 Percentage2001: 8.4 Percentage2002: 9.8 Percentage2003: 11.6 Percentage2004: 10.9 Percentage2005: 12.1 Percentage2006: 12 Percentage2007: 13.7 Percentage2008: 14.7 Percentage2009: 13.9 Percentage2010: 13.7 Percentage2011: 11.8 Percentage2012: 11.9 Percentage2013: 12.3 Percentage2014: 13 Percentage2015: 13 Percentage2016: 13.6 Percentage2017: 13.9 Percentage2018: 13.5 Percentage2019: 14.9 Percentage2020: 13.3 Percentage2021: 14.2 Percentage2022: 14.9 Percentage2023: 16.3 Percentage2024: 15.7 Percentage2025: 16.1 Percentage

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.

Analysis

The most recent figure for over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal is 16.1%, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 23.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal peaked at 16.3% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 1995.

That places Portugal 36th out of 45 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.

Over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal, 1995 to 2025.
Year Percentage Change
1995 6.9%
1996 7.5% +8.7%
1997 7.8% +4.0%
1998 8.1% +3.8%
1999 7.7% -4.9%
2000 9.6% +24.7%
2001 8.4% -12.5%
2002 9.8% +16.7%
2003 11.6% +18.4%
2004 10.9% -6.0%
2005 12.1% +11.0%
2006 12.0% -0.8%
2007 13.7% +14.2%
2008 14.7% +7.3%
2009 13.9% -5.4%
2010 13.7% -1.4%
2011 11.8% -13.9%
2012 11.9% +0.8%
2013 12.3% +3.4%
2014 13.0% +5.7%
2015 13.0% +0.0%
2016 13.6% +4.6%
2017 13.9% +2.2%
2018 13.5% -2.9%
2019 14.9% +10.4%
2020 13.3% -10.7%
2021 14.2% +6.8%
2022 14.9% +4.9%
2023 16.3% +9.4%
2024 15.7% -3.7%
2025 16.1% +2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.6% 6.9% 8.1% 5
2000s 11.7% 8.4% 14.7% 10
2010s 13.2% 11.8% 14.9% 10
2020s 15.1% 13.3% 16.3% 6

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 33 Switzerland 17.2% compare
  2. 34 Finland 16.9% compare
  3. 35 Denmark 16.3% compare
  4. 37 Romania 15.6% compare
  5. 38 Sweden 14.9% compare
  6. 39 Hungary 14.3% compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More population data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal?
Over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal was 16.1% in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest over-qualification rates by country of birth recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 16.3% in 2023.
What is the lowest over-qualification rates by country of birth recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 1995.
How does Portugal rank for over-qualification rates by country of birth?
Portugal ranks 36th out of 45 countries with data for 2025.
Is over-qualification rates by country of birth rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Over-qualification rates by country of birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Over-qualification rates by country of birth in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/over-qualification-rates-by-country-of-birth/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Over-qualification rates by country of birth
Unit
Percentage
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,261 data points, 1995–2025
Last refreshed